Attributed to the high demand for fiber optic cables’ durability and bandwidth, the demand for radio over fiber has skyrocketed. Radio over fiber or RoF is the technology that modulates light through radio signal and transmits over an optical fiber link. The growing adoption of 4G, 5G, and LTE advanced technologies is expected to surge RoF demand. Further, there is growing inclination toward fiber to the x (FTTx) owing to its ability to accommodate higher bandwidth and speed.
There is increasing and expanding usage of fiber optic cables owing to high bandwidth and durability. There has been an increasing number of enhancements in the capabilities of wireless networks. Owing to widespread adoption of connected high-capacity devices, such as tablets, phones, computers, and many more, there has been an increase in traffic. There has also been high usage of RoF in various military applications due to reliability capabilities. Further, RoF can offer shelter to connectivity and safety to endure harsh environments.
According to Business Research Insights, the global radio over fiber market size is estimated to be worth US$ 465.8 million in 2021 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 997 million by 2028 with a CAGR of 11.5% during the forecast period. The market has leading players like Finisar, HUBER + SUHNER, RF Optic, Emcore, APIC Corporation, Syntonics LLC, DEV Systemtechnik, ViaLite, Foxcom, Optical Zonu, Fibertower, Pharad, and Intelibs.
The market players have been implementing partnership strategies to provide antenna and semiconductor modules. For instance, in March 2022, FRTek, a chief supplier of amplifier and wireless solutions and repeater solutions, announced its partnership with Movandi. The partnership will provide semiconductors and antenna modules to FRTek’s smart repeaters. The partnership is expected to increase the customer base and revenues of both the companies.
Business Research Insights States the Top 5 Radio Over Fiber Companies
1. Finisar Corporation (U.S.)
Finisar Corporation is a subsidiary of II-VI Incorporated, a global leader that offers engineered materials, optoelectronic components, and optical systems. Finisar was started in 1987 and offers optical communication components. The product portfolio of the company includes optical transceivers, optical engines, active optical cables, optical components, optical instrumentation, ROADM & wavelength management, optical amplifiers, and RF-over-Fiber. It is located in Sunnyvale, California. In 2019, the company was acquired by II-VI Incorporated.
2. HUBER + SUHNER AG (Switzerland)
HUBER + SUHNER AG is a Swiss company that produces and develops systems and components solutions for optical and electrical connection technology. The company was started in 1864 and is located in Herisau, Switzerland. The company has divisions such as higher frequency that produces and develops high frequency and microwave products, fiber optics range that is made up of cable groups, cables, connectors, and cable and distribution systems; and low frequency that includes cables, cable groups, hybrid cables, and cable systems.
3. Syntonics LLC (U.S.)
Syntonics LLC offers communications equipment. The company is located in Columbia, U.S. and was started in 1999. It offers fiber optic remote antennas. The company serves various civil, military, and industrial markets in the U.S. The company’s technology helps in outlining the communication technology for DoD.
4. FiberTower (U.S.)
FiberTower is a leader in millimeter band fixed wireless technology. It is a subsidiary of AT&T. It is a private company that provides spectrum and fixed wireless services. It is located in San Francisco, U.S. and currently employs 101-250 employees.
5. Foxcom (Israel)
Foxcom is a manufacturer of advanced radio frequency over fiber services for government, commercial, and military. The company currently provides services and products in over 50 countries and offers more than 20,000 fiber optic links to various markets. The company was started in 1993 and has headquarters in Jerusalem, Israel.
Inclination Toward Fiber to the x (FTTx) for Increasing Usage in Architectures
The market growth of radio over fiber is characterized by the opportunities it has, including the inclination toward fiber to the x (FTTx), which is set to escalate the demand for the service. FTTx has various variants of fiber optics to access many infrastructures such as FTTB, FTTH, FTTP, FTTN, and FTTC. The fiber has now evolved to accommodate a higher bandwidth and speed, which has resulted in an increase in communication applications.
Advanced applications, such as video technology, IoT, and OTT content, are used to make more architectures such as FTTH and FTTB. Such advancements in radio over fiber are expected to pose an opportunity for the market.